Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Scion , Subaru , Toyota , Design/Style According to our recent and completely unscientific poll , the majority of our readership prefers the Subaru BRZ to its kissing cousin, the Toyota GT 86 . Just about half of those who clicked an opinion on our poll sided with the Subie, while the remainder were split – a quarter went with the Toyota and a quarter said the two cars were so similar that it didn’t matter. Similar they are, with different grilles, front fascias and badges standing out as the main differentiators. The rest is pretty much the same, right down to the front and rear lights. And, according to Automotive News at least, there’s a little bit of Toyota trickery at work in the styling. Take a close look at the rear of either the GT 86 or BRZ. Incorporating both the reverse lights and a rear foglight in the center between the dual exhaust tips is a distinctive element with a prominent inverted triangle shape. According to Toyota, that design “stands for Toyota’s ‘T’ shape” and is meant to ‘express its identity.’ That’s all well and good, but it’s also present on the Subaru , which is otherwise completely absent of any Toyota badging, for obvious reasons. This is especially noteworthy since Toyota led the car’s styling and bodyshape while Subaru invested its resources on the engine and chassis. Is there a conspiracy at play?

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Etc. , Japan , Tokyo Motor Show , Subaru , Toyota Toyota is flush with buzz surrounding the company’s new 86 sports car, and that could translate into additional performance models if the vehicle’s chief engineer has anything to say about it. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Tetsuya Tada, the mind that brought the Toyota 86 to life, believes there’s room in the stable for two additional sports cars. Tada is quoted as saying that while the 86 is a mid-sized sports car, he’d like to see one vehicle positioned below the boxer-powered coupe as well as an additional model slotted higher in the lineup. The latter machine could potentially be a successor to the Supra , complete with a high-horsepower engine and rear wheel drive. Like the 86, that vehicle would be another collaborative project between Toyota and Subaru . Unfortunately, Tada is quick to say that nothing has been decided as of yet. Keep your fingers crossed. Toyota considering Supra successor and sub-86 sports car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Tokyo Motor Show , Toyota Certainly for the moment, this is the biggest competition the Subaru BRZ has: its twin, the Toyota GT 86 . The volcanic orange coupe was unveiled in another corner of the Tokyo Motor Show , and frankly, it’s got a lot to recommend it. The frontal treatment is slightly different than on the BRZ, but the only digression out back is the lack of a spoiler, and the GT 86 looks pretty good without it. Inside, it’s a tale of two cabins. Clearly Toyota has brought a higher-spec cockpit to the party, and although you might not dig the red two-tone scheme, the iPhone cradle, toggle switches and white gauges are nifty. Of course, that niftyness will cost you a navigation screen, but these are exactly the kinds of choices the GT 86 vs BRZ crowd will need to make. Brush up on the specs in the release after the jump and take a walk around it in our high-res image gallery. Continue reading Toyota GT 86 makes a compelling case for itself Toyota GT 86 makes a compelling case for itself originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Europe , Tokyo Motor Show , Toyota It’s no secret that the Toyota FT-86 will finally make its production-spec debut next week in Tokyo, and ahead of that, the automaker’s UK office has released the first official photos and some initial specs. In Europe, the car will officially be called the Toyota GT 86. Cutting right to the chase, here are the specs that are now official, from the Toyota UK announcement. Obviously, there’s more to come: 2.0-liter boxer with D4-S injection (direct and port injected) 197 hp @ 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft (205 Nm) @6,600 rpm 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions 17-inch wheel/tire package standard 4,240mm (167 in.) long, 1285mm (50.6 in.) high, 2,570mm (101 in.) wide 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution 475mm (18.7 in.) center of gravity As demonstrated in the photos, everything is basically in line with what we’ve seen so far in the various leaked materials . So, start getting excited. In addition to the sharp styling outside, the interior looks the business, and the “86” fender logo is just plain cool. The GT 86 goes on sale in the UK next June. We’ll be on hand in Tokyo for the official reveal at the end of the coming week, with plenty more then. In the meantime, peruse the photo gallery and hit the jump for the full press release. Continue reading Europe’s Toyota GT 86 sports car revealed Europe’s Toyota GT 86 sports car revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:25:00 EST.